Kyle charged forward. The element of surprise was enough to allow him to dodge most of Snitch Gravel's men, and the ones who didn't move out of the way, he pushed away. He had to reach Snitch Gravel before he got the bright idea to order his men to shoot. He was almost there; he could see the grin stretching across Snitch Gravel's face.

Kyle stopped abruptly only a couple of feet away from the leader. The other guy in a suit and the guy with the eye patch aimed their rifles at him. Good enough. At least he had Snitch Gravel's undivided attention.

"Eye Patch, Von Crooken." Snitch Gravel waved his arm and the men lowered the weapons.

Eye Patch and Von Crooken? Kyle fought back a snort of laughter, but failed miserably.

Snitch Gravel turned to the man in the suit who was obviously not Eye Patch. "See, the brat thinks your name is stupid, too."

"Let's see how the brat likes it with a bullet through his head," Von Crooken snarled, but Snitch Gravel still seemed amused.

That until he returned his gaze to Kyle. For what seemed like years, he just stared at him as though trying to x-ray his entire body.

"Just what were you trying to achieve?" Snitch Gravel finally asked, coming closer and stopping inches from Kyle. "Did you think you could reach me and take me out? You have got to be joking!"

Kyle stood his ground, his body tense, his mouth thankfully under control and closed. Snitch Gravel took the rifle from Eye Patch, put its tip under Kyle's chin and forced him to turn his head. He twitched his nose and handed the rifle back.

"You don't seem remotely insane, but I could be wrong. I have to admit I'm intrigued. I've never seen one so close."

Kyle fought the impulse to ask what he'd never seen so close, but took in a deep breath and kept quiet. The more Snitch Gravel wondered over him, the better. Snitch Gravel's eyes narrowed as he came even closer.

"You let him go!"

Kyle's blood froze in his veins. This can't be happening. Two men stopped next to him, holding Kay off the ground between them. She struggled with her captors, kicking at the air.

"Well, well. Look who decided to join the party." There was savage pleasure in Snitch Gravel's voice now.

Kyle worked hard to keep the careless expression on his face, but it was so hard not to look at Kay, not to punch the living daylights out of the men who dared touch her, grasp her arms and leave bruises on her skin.

Snitch Gravel came so close to him, their noses almost touched. He was shorter, but not by much. Kyle had to stop himself from head-butting him. It wouldn't improve their odds much.

"I'm impressed by how well you hide your emotions. The girl on the other hand is pretty poor at it." He turned away from Kyle, towards the men holding Kay. "Put her down and bring her here."

Kay was shoved in the space between Kyle and Snitch Gravel. She seemed to be fine, only pissed as hell, and it made her look so adorable.

"Now, here's what we'll do," Snitch Gravel said pleasantly. "You will tell me why you came charging brainlessly at me and I might spare your girlfriend."

Snitch Gravel's proposal was greeted with silence. Kay was quiet as well and Kyle couldn't help but be grateful. His plan was working out great so far.

"The boss said, speak up or we'll kill the broad!" Von Crooken said and hit Kay in the stomach with the rifle. She let out moan and doubled over.

Hell no! Kyle stepped forward, grabbed the rifle in Von Crooken's hands and yanked it. Von Crooken had a firm grip and didn't let go. Kyle wrapped his other hand around the rifle, put his foot on Von Crooken's chest and pushed him away. The man swayed on his feet. Kyle hit him over the head with the rifle, sending him to the ground, moaning in pain.

"If you ever lay a hand on her again, I'll rip out your arm off and beat you over the head with it!"

"Put the gun down, boy." Eye Patch pointed his rifle at Kyle, but he ignored him, holding the rifle loosely.

Kay came next to him and leaned against him, rubbing her stomach, but seemed otherwise fine. "Thanks," she muttered.

Von Crooken sat up. "What are you waiting for? Kill her!"

Kyle pointed the rifle at Von Crooken's head. "How about I kill you instead?"

"Enough. Eye Patch," Snitch Gravel said, raising his right hand. Eye Patch switched targets, pointing the gun at Kay. "Drop the rifle unless you want me to kill the girl."

Kyle stared Snitch Gravel down for a few seconds, but he was serious, so he relaxed and threw the rifle to Von Crooken, hitting him in the head with it again. Snitch Gravel glanced from Kyle to Kay as if searching for something. His eyes turned a little glazed, as if he could see more, something that was beyond them. He shook his head, seeming slightly annoyed and composed his face into the same interested expression he had before Kay came into the picture.

"Good to know I wasn't wrong about your feelings. Now, seeing as I know your weakness, I want an answer to my original question. What were you hoping to achieve?"

Kyle stood quiet for a few seconds, trying to concentrate on the sounds of the battle behind him, but he couldn't tell what was going on. He hadn't heard any gunshots and that should be good enough. Eye Patch cocked the rifle and he knew he was out of time.

"Just wanted to keep you busy."

"Yes, I agree you've succeeded in keeping me busy. I just don't see why you would risk your life to do that—" Snitch Gravel stopped talking as Kyle grinned at him. "Okay, smart. I have to give you that. But in vain, seeing as I had no intention to order my men shoot your brothers. That was your plan, wasn't it?"

"That's what you were trying to do? I thought you wanted to strike him down," Kay said confused. Kyle took her hand and squeezed it, his eyes still on Snitch Gravel.

"I would if I could. Didn't count on it, though."

Snitch Gravel raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest. "Smart. But I don't need to have you shot. You are pretty terrible at fighting and therefore easy to capture. Only one of your brothers is still standing."

Kyle looked over his shoulder, but both Sam and Jerry were already on the ground having their wrists tied behind their backs. Tom was down too, on his back, struggling to escape the two men pinning him down. The girls and Carlos were already tied up together. Jimmy was the only one left standing. He was turning on the spot, trying not to leave his back uncovered, but was surrounded and stood no chance.

Kyle shook his head. "No, they're not. You got them both." Snitch Gravel had obviously mixed Jimmy and Jerry up. Not that it mattered. They were all at his mercy now. He'd have to wait for the perfect opportunity to escape, and this wasn't it. He reached out his hands, wrists stuck together, as if inviting Snitch Gravel to tie him up.

"Really? This is going to so be good." Snitch Gravel looked like he'd said something very funny. "However, I think you're a bit too dangerous to go around with your hands tied in front of you." He walked away from them. "Tie their hands behind their backs and let's move out. We've wasted enough time here."

*

Sam looked down at his feet, trying his best to make his way through the dense vegetation without tripping. It was hard enough that they had to climb, but having his hands tied behind his back wasn't helping his general balance. And like a sarcastic punishment, Snitch Gravel had forced them to carry their own luggage. The rucksack's straps cut into his shoulders. He'd never appreciated how heavy their stuff was since they'd had the mule.

He couldn't tell for how long they'd been walking, but it seemed like forever. His heart seemed to beat louder with each step and he wasn't sure how long it would take it to explode. His head throbbed together with his bleeding lip. Other than that, he was only scratched and bruised. He sucked so much at fighting that Snitch Gravel's men didn't need to harm him much to immobilize him. He wished he could've been more trouble for them. Like Tom who limped by his side, cursing under his breath. He'd taken more of a beating before they'd managed to tie him up.

The whole fight had been nothing but a blur of punches that had ended much too quickly. Now they were on their way to certain death. Sam could hear the girls sobbing and shut his eyes trying to block out the sound. He felt guilty enough as it was, he didn't need the reminder that Christine, Tina and Alice could have avoided all of this.

Light hit him straight in the face as the trees thinned. They seemed to be coming out of the jungle. The dead vegetation and moist ground under his feet was replaced with rough, reddish rock.

It took a couple more minutes for the trees to disappear entirely and leave them standing at the edge of a cliff. There was the sound of water plunging somewhere close, but he couldn't see the waterfall from where they were standing. The lone cliff top was surrounded by vegetation, so if they could only make a run for it, they'd have a cover from potential bullets. But they had to find the right time to dash.

Sam looked at the clear, blue sky and sighed. If the weather were to mirror his mood, it would be pouring. He was exhausted. The simple thought of running had his muscles protesting. He couldn't even put up a fight when Snitch Gravel's men piled them up and tied them up together. Only Kyle and Kay were left untied, but Sam wasn't jealous. Snitch Gravel probably had something worse in mind for them. The other suited man, Von Crooken, shoved them to the ground. Kay mumbled a curse as she hit the stone, but Kyle only shrugged as if he couldn't care less.

Sam concentrated on breathing, trying to relax and mentally prepare himself for the mocking he knew would follow. Snitch Gravel wasn't about to kill them without laughing in their faces first. And, unfortunately, he had a lot to laugh about. How could they not have any security around camp?

Next to him, Jerry mumbled a prayer.

"Knock it off, Jerry. We're not dead yet."

"You'd rather I prayed after we died?" Jerry hissed and Sam felt like laughing hysterically.

"Don't be like this. I'm sure we'll find a way to escape," Angie said in a low voice and Sam smiled weakly. At least she hadn't lost hope and wasn't sobbing.

"Yeah, keep believing, baby," Tom mumbled next to him and Sam turned to him shocked. Tom stared at the ground, as if he'd said nothing incredibly unusual. Sam fleetingly wondered if Angie heard him.

"So, now that we're all here..." Snitch Gravel paused for dramatic effect.

Panic bubbled in Sam's stomach, waiting to overflow, but he tried to pull himself together. Angie was right. They weren't dead yet, and maybe if he stalled Snitch Gravel long enough, they'd find a moment to escape.

"I assume you've guessed why I've brought you here. I'm planning to have my men nudge you over the edge. I want you to have a few seconds to reflect on your fate before crashing to your deaths." Snitch Gravel paused, waiting for their reactions.

That sounded terrible. Messy and risky. They weren't that high up. Some of them might actually survive. With broken limbs, left to their deaths in the middle of a jungle. Ugh, why couldn't Snitch Gravel just shoot them instead?

"But before I have you all killed, I'm curious. Didn't it strike any of you as weird that you four are identical pairs?" He pointed from Sam to Tom to Jerry to Jimmy and raised his eyebrows. "Or maybe you didn't notice."

"Of course we've noticed, we're not blind," Jimmy snapped and Eye Patch prodded him with his rifle.

Snitch Gravel looked so happy, Sam wished everyone would just keep quiet just to deny him the satisfaction of messing with them.

"Did it even occur to you that you might be twins?"

Maybe he wasn't messing with them. "Yes, but our parents..." Sam started reluctantly. His heart beat savagely. It was like a bad dream in which he could see everything in advance. He was sure that if Snitch Gravel had brought this up, it meant that they actually were brothers. It also meant that his parents were...

"You don't know your parents at all! Do you think saints have someone who hates them enough to kill their children? All five of them?" Snitch Gravel turned away from them, his face discomposed by hatred.

Sam's eyes widened as hope started returning to him. There was only one reason Snitch Gravel would know about them. A reason that didn't include his parents putting their own children up for adoption. "You had something to do with this, didn't you?"

Snitch Gravel focused on him and Sam tried his best not to cower. "You're not as stupid as you look."

"They never knew about Tom and Jimmy, did they?" Sam instated needing the confirmation that his parents weren't the scumbags Snitch Gravel claimed they were.

"Your parents are a bunch of idiots. They never looked into the issue of why a twin pregnancy resulted in only one child. They bought the doctor's pathetic excuse that he'd made a mistake." Snitch Gravel shook his head. "And I was too young to take advantage of the situation properly. No matter, I'm making up for it now."

"Wait, we're really...?" Tom fell quiet before he could finish the question.

"Yes, you've just found your family. Isn't it just fun that you're going to die before you get to enjoy it?" Snitch Gravel stared at them, sick satisfaction spread across his face.

The shock only lasted for a few seconds. Jimmy suddenly jerked towards Snitch Gravel, almost pulling all of them after him.

"You heartless bastard! Do you have any idea what the system can do to kids?" he said, struggling to break loose.

Eye Patch stuck the barrel of his rifle to Jimmy's head. Jimmy turned to him and kicked him in the shins. Eye Patch pulled back limping, getting closer to Kyle who kicked the legs from under him.

"Stop fooling around," Snitch Gravel said, snapping his fingers. Eye Patch got back on his feet, cursing under his breath. Two men grabbed Kyle and pulled him back, dropping him over Kay. "I will have none of this hero stuff. Unless you want me to shoot you, stay put."

"Don't you want to kill us?" Sam asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Of course I want to kill you. I just don't want to shoot you yet. I'd much rather throw you off this cliff. Remember?" Sarcasm oozed from Snitch Gravel's voice.

"That's a stupid plan," Tom said.

Snitch Gravel's attention turned to him. "Yes, I agree, it is a pretty stupid plan. But if you somehow make it alive, maybe I'll shoot you next time." A mocking smile stretched on his face. "For starving orphans, you're taking all of this pretty well."

And thank God for that. In spite of everything, Sam was excited that Jimmy and Tom were their brothers. He had a twin, someone who he'd felt connected his entire life, who he'd dreamed of. The whys and hows could wait. Sam only prayed that Jimmy and Tom were glad they'd found their family, too.

"How about untying us and I'll show you how well we're taking it," Jimmy snarled.

Snitch Gravel shook his head with pity. "You're getting a bit ahead of yourself. I might have to show you what you've really gotten yourselves into when you agreed to join the agency." He snapped his fingers and Eye Patch pointed his rifle at them. "Now, who to make an example of?"

Sam felt his heart stopping in his throat. What was Snitch Gravel talking about?

Eye Patch decided that Jimmy's head was his target of choice. Snitch Gravel rolled his eyes, and slapped the rifle away from Jimmy with the back of his hand.

"Making an example means shooting someone useless, not my revenge material." He looked at the back of the group and Sam felt even more nervous. His worse thoughts came true when he heard Alice screaming.

"Don't be a coward!" Sam called out, trying to sound disdainful and not scared out of his mind. "Be a man and pick a fight with—"

"Relax, brat. It's not like I'm going to shoot my greatest weapon against you." Snitch Gravel walked to Sam, grinning broadly.

Sam wondered if Snitch Gravel knew about Christine. But, then again, he had probably witnessed the scene at the inn. He felt his face becoming hot and he only prayed that he wasn't really blushing.